Johnston unravels JVP’s diabolical scheme | Daily News Online

September 15, 2014 5:40 PM

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The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) is unsuccessfully conniving to sabotage the government’s ongoing potato purchasing scheme being carried out by Lanka Sathosa, disregarding the interest of the potato farmers, to obtain political mileage, Cooperatives and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando said yesterday.

He said the ministry has received information regarding their attempts to disrupt the potato purchasing program by persuading the farmers to reap all their potato harvests in one take and force the entire stock of their potato yield on Lanka Sathosa. “The plan is to cripple the purchasing capacity of Lanka Sathosa and take advantage of the situation. Their aim is to let frustration grow in farmers who are very happy at the moment because the government is buying their potatoes at a guaranteed price. Lanka Sathosa has purchased around 1,202,000 kilos of potatoes from potato farmers countrywide spending Rs. 961,600,000,” he said.

Minister Fernando said they will continue to buy potatoes from the farmers at a government guaranteed price as promised by President Rajapaksa.

“We will buy potatoes until the production is over. I do not think that potato farmers should fall prey to political traps set by JVP politicos,” he added.